Paranormal Activity director Oren Peli is behind a new ABC show called The River, which follows the search for a missing nature TV host. Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan) directed the pilot from a script by Michael R. Perry and Michael Green, and a trailer has shown up online.

The faux-documentary/’found footage’ aesthetic that Oren Peli has cultivated is put to good use here — I like it applied to TV rather than a movie. Granted, the trailer shows a lot of tricks that will be familiar to anyone who has seen one of the Paranormal Activity films, or any of the many similar movies that exist. But The River looks like it might have a scare or two in store, and if the characters and background story build to anything good, this one could have a couple seasons in it.

The River follows the story of wildlife expert and TV personality Emmet Cole. Emmet set course around the world with his wife, Tess, and son, Lincoln, while filming what would become one of the most popular shows in television. After he goes missing deep in the Amazon, his family, friends and crew set out on a mysterious and deadly journey to find him.

Famed explorer Dr. Emmet Cole (Bruce Greenwood) went looking for magic deep in the uncharted Amazon and never returned. The shocking truth about his disappearance is out there, somewhere, just waiting to be discovered. To the millions of kids who grew up watching his nature show, Dr. Cole was a hero. To his own son, Lincoln (Joe Anderson), he was more of an enigma. Now, six months after he vanished, Lincoln is finally ready to bury the past when Dr. Cole’s emergency beacon suddenly goes off. At the urging of his mother, Tess (Leslie Hope), Lincoln reluctantly joins her on a search for his father. To fund the rescue, they agree to let Dr. Cole’s cagey ex-producer, Clark (Paul Blackthorne), film the mission documentary-style. The mixed crew of old friends and new acquaintances includes the sexy and resourceful Lena (Eloise Mumford), loyal mechanic Emilio (Daniel Zacapa) and lethal bodyguard Captain Kurt Brynildson (Thomas Kretschmann).